turnsole

American  

[turn-sohl] / ˈtɜrnˌsoʊl /

noun

1. any of several plants regarded as turning with the movement of the sun.

2. heliotrope.

3. a European plant, Chrozophora tinctoria, of the spurge family, yielding a purple dye.

4. the purple dye prepared from this plant; litmus.

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turnsole British  

/ ˈtɜːnˌsəʊl /

noun

1. any of various plants having flowers that are said to turn towards the sun

2. a euphorbiaceous plant, Croton tinctoria , of the Mediterranean region that yields a purple dye

3. the dye extracted from this plant

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Etymology

Origin of turnsole

1325–75; Middle English turnesole < Middle French tournesol the dye < Italian tornasole the plant, literally, (it) turns (toward the) sun, on the model of Greek hēliotrópion heliotrope

Example Sentences

The lower part from a was filled with water tinged blue, or rather purple, with the juice of turnsole, or archil.

From Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air by Priestley, Joseph